A Promise Between Kings
by IDoBelieveInMagic
Summary: Some time during a person’s life, they will lose something they held precious for many years and hadn’t thought what ever leave them, not once, and when it is lost, they are left with a silent ache that they are sure will never truly never leave them.


**A/N: I know I said that I wouldn't write a Narnia fic for a while because I didn't know how, but this idea came into my head today and I couldn't stop writing it. It's my first ever Narnia fanfiction, and I just hope that I haven't killed the characters. (hides) Oh, and please don't flame me. I'm sensitive. Lol.**

**Disclaimer: All these lovely characters belong to a Mr C.S Lewis.**

A Promise Between Kings

Some time during a person's life, they will lose something they held precious for many years and hadn't thought what ever leave them, not once, and when it is lost, they are left with a silent ache that they are sure will never truly never leave them, no matter how many years go by, and from one, dark-haired boy in Finchley, his precious thing was leaving him.

To go to war.

It wasn't fair.

He was meant to go anywhere. Not him. He had promised that when all these calls for men to join the army came that he would not go and would fight with all he had to stay with his family, but he didn't. He wasn't! He was getting changed now into that stupid uniform that Edmund Pevensie knew that would bring death. It wasn't as if he was deaf. He could hear the radio broadcasts. Men going to war, and not coming back.

His mother had told him that he had to stay brave and strong for his father, saying that he was going to save his country and that we should wish him luck.

Luck?

LUCK?

How do you wish your father luck when he could go to wherever he was going and then get shot as soon as he arrived there?

"Edmund?"

A voice appeared at the door of his bedroom. Without looking up, Edmund knew that it belonged to his older brother, Peter, and from the sound of it, he was going to make him do something that he wouldn't want to do.

"Ed? Dad's leaving now…you have to come and say goodbye."

Tears of anger, fear, grief and any other negative emotion you could get streamed down Edmund's face at these words. He was leaving already. Leaving his family. Leaving his home. Leaving him. He couldn't go and see him. If anything, Edmund would remember the man he loved in his normal clothes, in his study, and with a warm smile at seeing his youngest smile and calling over 'his little man'.

"No," Edmund muttered, turning on his side on his bed, facing away from the pale face of his brother.

"Edmund, he's going! Don't you want even say goodbye to him?"

"No."

"He could be gone for days, months, even years! Don't you even care? Stop being stupid and go and say goodbye to Dad!"

"I SAID NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Edmund's voice echoed throughout his room, throughout the house, leaving everything silent. Even for a split second did the bombings stop.

"Fine!"

The bedroom door slamming shut as Peter left, leaving a new echo in the room. The echo of broken sobs. Pain being released in the only way he knew how. By being alone. That was what he had to do now. That was what he had to do at school after all the boys stole his food, his gifts and money. He hadn't wanted to bring them feeling of hatred home, the feeling that no-one cared, but Edmund couldn't push it away anymore.

No-one cared.

Not the school.

Not Peter, Lucy or Susan.

Not his mother.

Now not even his father. The one man he had admired and loved with all the love he had left in his heart.

It was up to Edmund to look after himself now. To care for himself, and to distant himself from those who couldn't care less. It was the only way to protect himself from this stabbing pain, this forever-throbbing ache.

More sobs could be heard from downstairs, and another gentler slam of the door echoed, signalling the departure of Henry Pevensie.

_

* * *

__Helen Pevensie_

_43 Barlow Way,_

_Finchley,_

_London_

_Message to H. Pevensie. (dot) Henry Pevensie has been declared missing in action in France. (dot) April 30th 1940. (dot) _

_

* * *

__Helen Pevensie_

_43 Barlow Way,_

_Finchley,_

_London_

_Dear Mrs Pevensie,_

_We are grieved to announce that your husband, Mr Henry Pevensie, has died whilst fighting in France for his country. He was a brave man that will forever be remembered for his heroic deeds for his family and others_

_

* * *

__Dear Edmund,_

_My darling boy. My little man. My son. _

_If this letter is being read by you now, then it seems as if I have either died or have been announced missing. I'm sorry. I know these simple words feel helpless now, but I have no other way to show you how much I wish I wasn't writing this. Please let me tell you now that I never wished for this to happen. I never wanted to leave the family that I loved more than my country, not when we still had so much together and so much to see while you grew up and now…I feel cheated._

_We really did something in our short time together. You and I. We got somewhere, but in the end, you grew and the bond we had started to slacken, and I realised that you can turn elsewhere and be nourished._

_I know that with Peter, Susan and Lucy that you may have feel put-out, but you being the youngest man and the strongest in personality, I felt drawn to you more, and daresay, felt as if you were a younger version of myself._

_I love you, Eddie._

_I know that Peter cannot take the real place as a father, but give him a chance. He now has the weight of the rest of his family on shoulders as Head of the Family, and I can tell you from experience that it isn't easy as it looks. Give him the love and respect that you have given me over the years. He needs you. I need you. Know that I'll always be watching you, and that in the darkest of days, I'll be there to shine a light and help you through._

_Be strong, my son, and no can move you._

_Dad _

_PS- I'm leaving you my one treasured possession. My tin-man. He may not look like it, but he has with ever since I was your age, and I need you to look after him for me. Remember never leave your men behind._

* * *

It had been over a year since Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy had returned from Narnia and had left Professor Kirke's House. Their mother had been amazed to see that all had come back from something different about them. More mature, gentler, more confident…an air of royalty about them, but the most changed was Edmund.

After his father had died, he had withdrew into himself, and turned from a quiet and polite child to a menace. Yet now it seemed like the old Edmund has returned. Gone were the bitter frowns and scowls, the selfish smirks and deadly glares. He had now a calmer look, a look of care and knowledge that a child of that age shouldn't know yet, a respect for his siblings and yet behind the change lay a haunted gaze. It was small and barely detectable at times, but when night terrors plagued him and his brother and sisters went to comfort him, it could be seen shining brightly in his eyes, fear and pain.

It took everything in her being for Helen to not go and wrap her arms around him, but from her view, she saw that his siblings were more than capable of helping him.

Henry would've been proud.

* * *

He was leaving.

Edmund had hoped that the letter that had arrived a month ago had been nothing but another nightmare, but he wasn't. It was real.

Peter was leaving.

He was going to back to school, and there was nothing Edmund could do to stop him. It was like some vicious circle had come round again, taking another person he loved away from him, and pushing back into the cold.

Edmund couldn't let it happen again. Peter wasn't going to war, but since their time in Narnia, they had grown closer and closer with each passing day, and he was the only one to save him from the coldness. It had been there since his father died, and had grown when the White Witch's staff had stabbed him. It had left him with a cold that only Peter could drive away. Every time a nightmare arose, those warm arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders and the calm, soothing yet strong voice brought him back to reality.

"Ed?"

The voice was back again, except this time, no bitterness or coldness lay anywhere near that deep voice, only warmth and concern.

"I'll be going soon. Do you want to come and see me off?"

"No."

Edmund wasn't sharp or vicious, but shaking with a building wave of tears and cries that if he let go would never stop. He couldn't watch Peter leave.

"Oh…okay. Well…I'll see you soon then."

Hurt and quietness came from Peter as he went over, kissed his brother softly on the temple, and slipped Edmund's door shut, and headed down stairs, tears stinging in his own eyes.

The sobs were back again, and the sound of the front door opening.

"WAIT!"

He had been right. He couldn't bear to see Peter leave, but he wasn't going to make the same mistake as he had with his dad.

Edmund threw open his door, pelted down the stairs, and practically ran into Peter's chest, wrapping his own arms around his brother's chest, and holding him tightly as if his life depended on it. Salty tears were running down his cheeks and onto a grey shirt.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be such an idiot when you got your letter! I just didn't want you to leave like Dad did and not come back! You've always been there for me, to look after me when I needed it and to tell me if I'm doing something right or wrong, and when you got the letter, it was like you didn't want me anymore and that you didn't care, and I made you think that I didn't care, just like Dad, and now you hate me because I was like what I used to be like and I'm so sorry!"

All came out in one breath, and he found himself on his knees, on the floor with those familiar arms round him and a strange feeling of wetness where Peter had buried his head in the back of his neck. He didn't know how long he was knelt there, but after his tears and shaking had subsided, he gave a sniff and slowly pulled his face away. Peter did the same, his own face tear-stained and puffy.

"Edmund…Ed, you know that I would NEVER leave you," Peter croaked, his voice hoarse. "Do you think going to school is going to stop me from coming back to you, Su and Lu? _Nothing _on earthwill stop me, and I could never hate you, no matter what you did, and even if you did turn cold, I would know that you're only turning it because you care about me. I'll never leave you."

He tilted Edmund's face to eye-level with both of his hands, a look of fierce determination and love burning deep in pale blue.

"Look at me, Ed. I'll always be standing beside you, little brother, helping you in every way I can. Plus, I'll be sending you letters so often you'll be sick of me!" A small smile quirked on the corner of Peter's lips.

Edmund let out a wet laugh and a sniff, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. "I'm sick of you anyway. You'd better go before you make me all soppy like you!"

One final hug and a firm kiss on the top of Edmund's forehead signalled it was time for Peter to go. A look was shared between the brothers, and with a wave, Peter picked up his suitcase, kissed his mother on the cheek, gave a wave and walked out the door, and closed it with a click.

_I'll never leave you, Edmund. Never. I promise._


End file.
